Experience shows that significant efficiency increase due to real time tuning of thermal power-plants is feasible. It would be helpful to provide a system that systematically yields the absolute maximum of thermal efficiency η of a plant with respect to a set of independent measured parameters. The parameters, also referred to as Variables, are preferably available to an operator or an engineer to manipulate, subject to operational, safety, structural, and environmental constraints. The technique would ideally be applicable to any type of energy-conversion plant in particular thermal power plants. Thermal power plants include, but are not restricted to steam-turbine, combined cycle, co-generation power-plants, Diesel cycles, and nuclear.
It is an object of the invention to go some way toward maximising thermal efficiency of a power plant, or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.